


It Only Gets Worse

by mggislife2789



Series: Crossing Paths [4]
Category: Criminal Minds, Spencer Reid - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Bullying, F/M, Romantic Angst, Romantic Friendship, Unresolved Romantic Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-18
Updated: 2016-08-18
Packaged: 2018-08-09 11:57:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7800994
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mggislife2789/pseuds/mggislife2789
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Chapter Four of Crossing Paths. The bullying Spencer endures only gets worse, as Jade begins martial arts classes, feeling the need to protect her best friend.</p><p>Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters or their original stories. This is only for fun. It's where my brain goes after the credits roll. No copyright intended. Better safe than sorry. ;)</p>
            </blockquote>





	It Only Gets Worse

Spencer hated the fact that Jade had resorted to walking with him to class, but it seemed to keep Thomsen and his friends away from him. Nearly a year later, the teasing and torture hadn’t stopped - it had only escalated, and the staff said they “couldn’t” do anything unless they saw it with their own eyes. Jade called bullshit.

The only thing that was keeping him sane was Jade, who’s started taking Muay Thai after classes four days a week. She told him it was to keep active, but he knew she only said that because she didn’t want to make him feel weak; it was for him. She felt the need to protect him and he was simultaneously grateful and angry. He wasn’t angry at her, but the situation. He just wished he were tougher. He needed to be if he ever wanted to work for the FBI, which was his lifelong dream.

Given that they were both still too young to drive, one of Jade’s parents normally picked them up from classes. While Jade was training, Spencer would hang out at her house - sometimes in her room reading and occasionally with her parents, who had immediately taken him in as if he were their second child. He loved his mother dearly, but she wasn’t always able to be a mother, so the fact that Jade’s parents liked him was a relief.

“Spencer, honey!” he’d heard from in Jade’s room. “I’m going to pick Jade up from class.” He ran down the stairs to Mrs. Poston tousling his hair and handing him a brownie she had made earlier. So this was what a normal family life was like? He liked it; he hoped to have that himself one day.

His thoughts quickly returned to his pitiful situation as they picked Jade up from class. She had a huge smile on her face. He assumed she had ranked up this week. Muay Thai didn’t have belts like karate, and traditionally in Thailand, they didn’t have ranks either. People trained in the sport and fought. However, for the art to be taught effectively, ranks were developed.

“I’m rank 4!” she said, pumping her fists in the air. “Whoo!”

“Congratulations, that’s four ranks in less than a year, right?” Spencer asked as happily as he could.

He hoped she would never have to use her training to defend him. That would make him feel even worse. The only girl who’d ever paid any attention to him. She was his best friend, and for the past year, he was thinking about her differently. He wanted to say something, but he didn’t want to push her away. If nothing else, he wanted - no needed, her friendship. And the likelihood of her liking him back? Not so likely. Why would she? She was pretty, nice, exceedingly intelligent, funny - and he - he was a nerd who rambled when he was passionate about something, unbelievably socially awkward, especially around girls, and at 15, still growing into his rapidly growing frame. No, he couldn’t risk saying anything to her, not when so much was on the line.

—————————————————————————————–

Jade walked out of class the next afternoon, ready to meet Spencer for lunch. They were going to walk two blocks down from campus to the Thai restaurant they both loved. Over the past three years, she and Spence had become best friends. She knew his favorite color was green (as was hers), he loved King Lear (her second favorite), he wanted to fight crime when got older (she still had no idea what she wanted to do with her life), and his biggest fear was losing his mother to her disorder.

At this point, her biggest fear was losing him. She never thought she would find someone like her; she couldn’t imagine life without him. During the first couple of years they’d known each other, she strictly thought of him as a friend, but lately, she was feeling something. She couldn’t pinpoint it exactly, because she hadn’t felt it before, but a racing heart, sweaty palms and stumbling over her words pointed towards romantic feelings. But what if it was just teenage hormones? She knew how he felt about himself, but she couldn’t see it. He was the sweetest, kindest boy she had ever known, but the risk of telling him anything might risk their friendship - and that wasn’t something she was willing to do.

As she snapped out of her thoughts, shaking them off and looking at her phone, she noticed the time. 1:15 PM. She’d said to meet at the fountain in front of the building, but it was 10 minutes after they’d agreed upon and he wasn’t there. A feeling of panic washed over her. Something was definitely wrong. She looked around the campus trying to focus in on anything out of the ordinary. Everything seemed fine until she saw the baseball field. There was a crowd of people gathered around the flagpole; there was no reason for that.

She broke out in a sprint, praying that she was wrong in her assumptions, but as she approached the group of older students, she found she wasn’t wrong. There was Spencer, blindfolded and tied to the flagpole, in nothing but his underwear. If she weren’t so filled with rage, she would’ve broken down on the spot. Pushing through the crowd of onlookers, she screamed “Get the fuck out of my way!” At the front of the crowd were Logan Thomsen and his friends. The way they were pointing and laughing at him told her all she needed to know.

“What the fuck is wrong with you? she bellowed. “What the hell do you get out of torturing him? Does it make you feel like a big man?” She peered at Spencer through the corner of her eye. He was shaking and she could see the tears falling from behind the blindfold. She ran over to him, untied him from the pole and took off the blindfold. “I’m here, Spence. It’s over.” She took her coat off so he could cover himself and turned back to Logan.

He was still laughing, practically gasping for air as she ran toward him. She thrust the heel of her hand into his nose and kneed him in the balls as hard as she could, completely forgetting any technical training she had and acting solely on instinct. Now he was crying in pain, a bloody hunched-over mess. Good, she thought. Maybe now he would have some tiny inkling of what it was like to be Spencer. The rest of his friends looked on in amazement. She had fire in her eyes. If anyone made any sudden movements, heads would roll.

She leaned down to where he lay and whispered in his ear, “I swear on all that I love, if you ever go near him again, I’ll make you regret it.” She pushed through his friends, who had closed ranks around them screaming, “Move!” As she approached her best friend, she yelled behind her, “If I ever see any of you near him again, I’ll fucking kill you!!”

He didn’t even meet her gaze as she ran toward him; one of his worst fears had come true. He had been tortured and publicly embarrassed in front of the girl he’d come to love, and she had come to his defense. His eyes went vacant as he stood up and she tied her coat around his waist, undoubtedly trying to save him more embarrassment - if that was even possible.

She said nothing as she led him to his clothes, having spotted them moments before. There was nothing she could say to make him feel better in this moment. All she could do was be there. A tear fell from her eye as she realized it might never be enough.


End file.
